Reversible Electrocatalytic Production and Oxidation of Hydrogen at Low Overpotentials by a Functional Hydrogenase Mimic

摘要

Interest in the use of hydrogen for energy storage, transportation fuel, and as a reductant to generate other chemical fuels has grown rapidly in recent years. This has led to the investigation of new catalysts composed of abundant and inexpensive metals that can produce and use hydrogen efficiently. In nature, hydrogen is also used as a fuel and is an important source of energy in the microbial world. Hydrogen metabolism in nature is mediated by hydrogenase enzymes, which operate at ambient conditions and pressures, using the abundant metals nickel and iron in their active sites. One of the hallmarks of these enzymes is their ability to reversibly catalyze the oxidation of hydrogen to protons and electrons with high efficiency. This capability indicates that addition and release of hydrogen is nearly thermoneutral and kinetically accessible.